NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition leader Michael Pintard raised concerns yesterday regarding the necessity and cost-effectiveness of large government delegations during official trips.
While the travel budget of the Davis administration has faced scrutiny, Pintard emphasized that the Opposition's primary concern is not travel itself but rather the tendency for excessively large delegations accompanying officials on taxpayer-funded trips.
"All of us who have served in Cabinet or as Parliamentarians travel from time to time on behalf of the Bahamian people. Our issue has never been travel in and of itself. This administration has a size problem. They love to take large delegations, and the question is, does everyone in the delegation have a particular role that they play that would be beneficial to our development? What is the return on investment? The question is for the persons that go, should they be there? Should the Prime Minister be there when the persons who are there are ministers or should the minister be there when those attending and permanent secretaries and directors?' queried Pintard.
Latrae Rahming, Director of Communications at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), recently defended the increase in the OPM's travel budget, stating that the Prime Minister's travels consistently serve the national interest and align with the government's foreign policy objectives.
This defense follows revelations from the mid-year budget indicating that the OPM's travel budget has surged to $2.1 million from $569,721 previously. Critics and the Opposition have frequently criticized Prime Minister Davis's frequent travels.
Rahming clarified that the government often faces various demands that necessitate officials' travel, noting that while technocrats or the Minister of Foreign Affairs may suffice for some matters, certain issues mandate the Prime Minister's presence.
The Opposition Leader has previously questioned in the House of Assembly the number of envoys appointed by the Davis administration and their associated costs, which the government has yet to address.
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